The Nature of Wolves
by Luci-Marlena
Summary: "Trust your instincts." Derek begins to walk Isaac back to the car, "Whatever you feel, whatever they're telling you to do, do it. Trust them." In which Isaac discovers his feelings, Derek is some sort of mentor on feelings HA! , and there is some awkward Sterek non-interaction acknowledgement.


AN: I don't own Teen Wolf.

_The Nature of Wolves_

Isaac rushes into the building, running half wolfed-out until he sees an unconscious Erica lying, still breathing and starting to heal, on Stiles' lap. He lets out a relieved breath before brushing a lock of hair that was covering the side of her face back behind her ear.

Crouching down, Isaac gets as close as he can to Erica, without actually touching her. He watches her for a few minutes, getting calmer at each rise and fall of her chest, proving that she's okay; she's breathing and healing, and everything's going to be okay.

He ignores the confused, and somewhat pitied, expression on Stiles' face and gets up and out of the subway car and goes to Derek.

"What happened?" he asks his Alpha.

Derek has no expression on his face when he explains, "The Kanima."

"That's not paralysis. Something _happened_ to her, something," he tries to find a word that best describes how Not-Erica and Not-Wolf her smell is. Eventually, he gets frustrated trying to find a better word than, "different." Like he told Stiles, he's not good with words, he prefers action.

His Alpha just stares at him and Isaac knows that he doesn't have an answer; that none of them have an answer to the problem that Jackson and his Master. Derek doesn't know how to find out who is the Master, or how to just get rid of the Kanima – _Jackson_ his mind growls in remembrance of all the shit that dick put him through – for good. He doesn't know what happened to Erica. He doesn't know if it's going to leave permanent effects, or if she'll even be a wolf anymore.

Derek doesn't know anything right now and Isaac is frustrated.

He has strength, speed, heightened abilities, and a strong pack; but he's powerless. He knows nothing and can do nothing to help.

It's just like when his Dad would demand answers, demand something better of him and he couldn't deliver.

And then beaten when he was found "not good enough."

His Dad took his power away; made him weak and scared. He hates that feeling. The feeling of being pushed into a corner where he had to just take the beatings, when he was locked in the freezer downstairs, when he was sometimes chained up before he was locked in that small prison. He'd be down there for hours, just trying to breathe, to find some sort of strength to keep breathing, to not give in.

And now that feeling is back.

Because of _her._

Erica.

He doesn't even know why he cares so much, why his heart picked up double time when he heard about (_felt_, he felt something inside his chest twinge when she got hurt) her getting hurt and ran in a panic trying to find her. He doesn't understand that he feels this way for a member of the pack when it doesn't happen with anyone else. Not with Boyd or Derek. Just _her._

He panics and feels all his control and power over himself, power that he just got, drain away at the _thought_ of her being hurt.

Just thinking about it now causes a painful twinge in his chest. Making a face, Isaac rubs his chest and looks at Derek, hoping he might have some sort of answer.

As if sensing his unease, Derek puts a hand on his shoulder and brings him in close. "She's going to be okay," he rubs his thumb on Isaac's shoulder, trying to comfort the boy but obviously still new to such actions after his family was killed.

Isaac, starved for any type of affection, crumples and leans in closer to Derek, his Alpha. "I don't know what's going on," he can feel a whine forming at the back of his throat.

He looks up at the Alpha, "I don't know what I feel anymore." Turning his head, Isaac stares at the subway car as if he could see through the metal and watch Erica from where he's standing, "About anyone."

"Trust your instincts." Derek begins to walk Isaac back to the car, "Whatever you feel, whatever they're telling you to do, do it. Trust them."

They stop just outside the car and Isaac fidgets for a moment before asking, "What are my instincts telling me to do?"

Derek stays silent, letting the boy figure it out for himself.

"Why are they telling me to protect her, to run out and rip Jackson's throat out while not letting her out of my sight?" Isaac huffs out a breath, fed up of not knowing what's happening to him. For being a slave to his feelings, no longer in control of what he wants to do. "Why do I feel like this?"

Derek stares at him and says calmly, "Because this is what happens when you find your mate."

Isaac stares at him in shock, shaking his head.

Derek leans in closer, forcing Isaac to listen to him. "When you find your mate, your instincts take over. You want to protect them no matter what." He looks inside the car for a long moment before he continues in a quieter voice, "You would put yourself in danger before seeing them hurt."

Silence falls between the two wolves before Derek clears his throat, "Trust your instincts."

Isaac nods and heads in to the car, intent on relieving Stiles from his duty as Erica's pillow.

Stiles leaves the car and catches Derek's eye as he leaves. He stares at the Alpha for a long time, with a look that Derek has never seen in his eye, before he gives Derek a small smile and a wave goodbye.

Derek returns the wave and watches Stiles leave, listening as Stiles gets in his Jeep and drives home. He listens until he can't hear the Jeep anymore and lets out a huff.

Trust the instinct.

Derek nods to himself, trust the instinct.

He leaves the two wolves alone and runs to the Stillinski house to make sure that Stiles is alive and well.


End file.
